Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. Isaiah 43:5-7

Crispy laundry and a really BIG couch

Mark has been doing all the blogging until now, so here goes my attempt. I have been fighting with the computer to upload some photos for all of those who are clamoring to see pictures and decided since I’m sitting here anyway I might as well write a few things, too. We’re spending our days shopping and unpacking. It really is a luxury to have the time to learn how to do all the day-to-day chores before we get into language learning, and it’s a big blessing to have team members who take us everywhere and translate for us – not to mention those who move furniture and appliances! And some who also have a good eye for color and understand how much we should pay for things here (thanks, team!).

I’m trying to keep up with the laundry since we don’t have much room to hang things for drying. We purchased a much-used drying rack which certainly helps with the space issue; however, it’s going to take some getting used to having very crispy jeans, t-shirts, socks, and everything in between. It’s one thing to have crisp sheets and another thing altogether to have crunchy towels and washcloths!

While Mark was home recovering from the stomach thing that we’ve all passed around, I purchased a really big couch today. There aren’t many choices for furniture here in Darhan, so when we found a couch in a neutral shade and fabric (not lime green, plastic orange, or shiny gold leopard print) for a good price, we knew it was meant to be ours. Just for the record, Mark did see it yesterday before I actually purchased it. However, in our small apartment the size is a bit overwhelming. I may need to re-arrange my furniture a few times to figure out how it’s going to work. At least it has 4 sections so that gives me a few more options. Mom, I know you would love to help with this challenge so feel free to draw some diagrams as you get time! (No comments about the rug — it’s borrowed temporarily). I’m just happy to have a comfortable place for us and our guests to sit, and also very glad to be done with that part of the shopping.

We want to say a big “Thank You” to all of you who have blessed us with your prayers and your financial help. You’re an important part of everything that God is doing in our lives here and we need you all. We look forward to hearing from you soon. We start language classes one week from today, so we would appreciate your prayers for that transition. Annika also starts 2nd grade that same day! We still need to arrange for childcare for Toby, but we feel really good about the possibilities available here in Darhan. Pray for us to make the best decision for Toby regarding his caregiver. We love you guys!

Here’s a picture of Annika by the drying laundry (in the living room pre-couch). Annika posed for me yesterday while Toby was napping, so she’s in most of the recent pictures.

Annika matches the kitchen! I knew you secretly always wanted a periwinkle and yellow kitchen. The cabinets are nice, though not so numerous as in Russellvile. No diagrams possible from just the one photo of the living room. With a sofa in 4 sections, the good news is you shouldn’t need any other furniture (or have room for it) except for some lighting. I’m sure you will make it homey for your family and if you need decorating advice, I’m sure Annika has picked up enough from Granna to help out. She’s growing up.

I’m glad to hear you have so much help and caring people nearby. With what I’ve read from other team member’s blogs, you will be quite busy starting next week. We will pray for your language skills to develop rapidly and also for your decision about how Toby will best spend his days. It’s good to hear you have options to consider what will be best for him. Keep the photos and news coming. We cannot stress enough how good it is to see and hear what’s happening in your lives. We share your excitement even as we miss you. Love M&GP

Delighted to see the pictures. The kitchen cabinets look very Asian/European. The kitchen is bright! Every picture helps us to understand your new lives in Darhan. We are so thankful for all that has been accomplished within a few short days. Gma-Gpa. Chicago

Enjoyed the pics! What do you have against lime green couches?! It might have looked great with the periwinkle tiles! I’m with you on the crunchy jeans, though. And looking at your drying rack, I don’t think I’d be too fond of crunchy socks, either.

We miss you guys and pray for you regularly. If evenings are good for you, we may Skype you some morning before we start our school work. Love, Amy, Sam and the cousins

Really really cool! Periwinkle and yellow are swedish colors, it’s practically IKEA! We will pray about the caregiver for Toby–I’ve been down that road enough–but we’ve always been amazed how God has used that to bless others and usually ourselves along the route, and it has opened many new discussions about faith with each of our caregivers. Toby is such a sweet heart he will win anyone over very quickly!
Beth et al